Association of KCNJ11 rs5219 E23K Polymorphism with Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is known as a major public health issue worldwide. Type 2 diabetes does not have a clear inheritance pattern, although many affected people have at least one close family member, such as a parent or sibling, who is affected with the disease. The KCNJ11 gene is a member of the potassium channel gene family. Polymorphisms in KCNJ11 (E23K, rs5219) result in neonatal diabetes and congenital hyperinsulinemia, which are associated with diabetes susceptibility where the K allele plays an important role in insulin secretion. This study evaluates the frequency of these polymorphisms in 85 Kurdish patients with type 2 diabetes. E23K polymorphism was genotyped by the PCRRFLP method. Heterozygous carriers for AG are more in non-diabetic patients (P = 0.034).